Brandt Point Village seems stuck in a cycle of promises made, meetings held to discuss mandatory to-dos, nothing getting done, and then the cycle starts again. At least those were the sentiments once again aired when the Mattapoisett Planning Board met on November 7.
When Paul Osenkowski asked what the status was of the mandated roadway work in Phase 1, Chairman Tom Tucker said he had spent the better part of the afternoon talking about the project.
Planning Board Administrator Mary Crain said she had had a contentious conversation with the attorney for Omega, one of the newest partners involved in the cluster housing sub-division that has seen a number of vested parties come and go for nearly a decade.
Attorney John McGreen voiced his displeasure at the Planning Board’s insistence that building permits not be issued until all the work on Phase 1 was completed.
Tucker said, “I have been adamant that Phase 1 get completed before Phase 2 begins.” But in a follow-up call between Crain and town counsel, Tucker learned that the board’s insistence may have little or no impact on when Phase 2 begins.
Crain said, “I informed Attorney McGreen that building permits wouldn’t be issued. He was upset with that news. I also spoke to town counsel, and he said we have no control over issuance of building permits.”
Tucker lamented, “We don’t have the right to hold back building permits. We can only make recommendations.”
Osenkowski became enraged saying, “This is our response to protecting the town!” He shouted, “We have no way to hold their feet to the fire!” Shaking his head he said, “It’s death by a thousand cuts.”
Tucker responded, “He [town counsel] said we can make a recommendation. The town doesn’t have to issue those permits.”
Tucker suggested that Osenkowski take his concerns to the selectmen as he and the Planning Board were at a loss to get roadway construction and necessary infrastructure completed as the developer had previous agreed.
Crain said that McGreen felt the $1.4 million surety that had been struck in a tri-party agreement was sufficient, and therefore, holding back on building permits was unwarranted and could result in litigation.
Tucker said that McGreen had informed Crain that Omega had not been aware they would be responsible for incomplete and or substandard work on Phase 1 before building in Phase 2.
Denis Demos, a resident in Phase 1, said that the septic system had recently failed two tests and that warning alarms had been triggered indicating a problem with the closed private system.
Tucker asked Crain to send notification to the Board of Health regarding the septic failures and to ask town counsel to attend the next Planning Board meeting so that the members could better understand next steps.
In other business, a discussion with David Davignon of N. Douglas Schneider & Associates regarding alternations to plans previously submitted for a new driveway at 1 Goodspeed Island did not rise to the level of requiring an amendment to the plans. Davignon said that the new homeowners were planning to use a combination of grass pavers and gravel at the turn-around near the home.
The board voted by majority to send a letter to the Zoning Board of Appeals in support of Todd Rodrigues’ filing of a special permit to build mix-use structures within the village business district.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board is scheduled for December 5 at 7:00 pm in the town hall conference room.
By Marilou Newell